Moreton Hall: On the Path to Becoming a Hedgehog-Friendly School 🦔

This term, Moreton Hall has proudly embraced the mission of becoming a Hedgehog-Friendly School.

With hedgehog numbers in severe decline across the UK, our Eco Team has made our school grounds safer and more supportive of these much-loved native mammals.

After completing our initial habitat survey and assessing the school site for hedgehog hazards and opportunities, we have moved into Section 4: Action and Improvement of our hedgehog action plan, and it's been a busy and rewarding phase!

Here's what we've achieved so far:

✅ Hedgehog Tunnel Installed: We have set up a hedgehog footprint tunnel in a quiet area of the grounds to monitor nocturnal activity. Pupils are recording and analysing the results in an ongoing wildlife tracking project.

🌿 Wildlife-Friendly Habitats: The Eco Team has built log piles, created leaf-filled corners, and allowed select areas of grass to grow longer—all perfect for shelter and nesting.

🚪 Hedgehog Highways: We've started creating small gaps at the base of fences to form 'hedgehog highways', allowing these creatures to roam freely between different areas.

🧽 Grounds Clean-Up: Litter-picking sessions and equipment safety checks have been completed to reduce risks like entanglement or injury.

🗣️ Raising Awareness: We've designed and displayed posters, run form-time briefings, and delivered assemblies to inform the school community about how we can all help protect hedgehogs at school and at home.

This project has brought together students from different year groups, fostered teamwork, and built a real sense of environmental stewardship across the school. Pupils have not only developed their understanding of local biodiversity but also taken ownership of making meaningful, practical changes to their surroundings.

Looking ahead, we will repeat our site survey later this term to monitor progress, and we plan to apply for official Hedgehog Friendly Schools status once we've completed the remaining steps. We're incredibly proud of our students' enthusiasm, initiative, and care, and we're excited to continue transforming Moreton Hall into a haven for hedgehogs and wildlife alike.